Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1887-08-13

springy. When two suitable helves had been
selected with great care, and the end Of the
haft notched to prevent the hand from slip
ping. the ak beads were fixed ON them as
firmly as possible, and the weapons immersed
in bucket of water for half an hour. The
result of this was to swell the wood in the
socket in such fashion that nothing short of
burning would get it out again When this
important matter had been attended to by
Umslopogaas, l went into my room and pro-
ceeded to open little tin lined deal case.
which had not been undone since we left
England, and which contained-what do you
thinkl-nothing more or less than four mail
shirts.
It seems almost laughable to talk Of steel
shirts in these days of bullets, against which
they are of course, quite useless; but where
one has to DO with savages, armed with
cutting weapons such as assegais or battle
axes, they afford the most valuable protec-
ton, being, if well made, quiet invulnerable
to them. l have often thought that if only
the English government had in our savage
wars, and more especially in the Zulu war,
thought fit to serve out light steel shirts. there
would be many man alive today who, as it
is, is dead and forgotten.
To return: on the present occasion we
DttSS6u our III tucoS SulItS,
and also our good luck i'll that they had not
been stolen by our rascally bearers when they
ran away with our goods. AS Curtis had
two, and, after considerable elaboration, had
made UP his mind to wear his combination
one himself-the extra three or four pounds
weight being a matter of no account to so
strong man, and the protection afforded to
the thighs being very important matter TO
an individual not armed with a shield of any
kind--I suggested that he should lend the
other to Umslopogaas, who was to share the
danger and the glory of his post. He readily
consented, and called the Zulu, who came
bearing Sir Henry's ak, which he had now
fixed up to his satisfaction, with him. When
we showed him the steel shirt, and explained
to him that we wanted him to wear it, be at
first declined saying that he had fought i'll
his own skin for thirty years, and that he was
not going to begin now to fight in an iron
one The,eupon | took heavy spear, and
spreading the shirt upon the floor, drove the
spear down upon it with all my strength, the
weapon rebounding without leaving mark
upon the tempered STEEL This exhibition half
converted him; and when l pointed out to
him how necessary it was that he should not
let any old fashioned prejudices he might
possess stand in the way of precaution
which might preserve a valuable life at a
time when men were scarce and also that if
he wore this shirt he might dispense with a
shield, and so have both hands free, he yielded
at once, and proceeded to invest his great
frame with the "iron skin" And indeed,
although made for Sir Henry, it fitted the
great Zulu like skin. The two men were
almost of height; and though Curtis locked
the bigger man, am inclined to think that
the fact being that, although he was plumper
and rounder, he was not really bigger, except
in the arm Umslopogaas had, comparatively
speaking, thin arms, but they were as strong
as wire ropes Ata any rate, when they both
stood, ak in hand, invested in the brown
mail, which chung to their mighty forms like
web garment, showing the swell of every
muscle and the curve of every line, they
formed pair that any ten men might shrink
from meeting.
1t was now nearly ! o'clock in the morning,
and the spies reported that, after having
drunk the blood of the oxen and eaten enor-
nous quantities of meat, the Nasal were go
ing to sleep round their watch fires, but that
sentries had been posted at each opening OF
the kraal Flossie, they added, was sitting
not far from the wall in the center of the
western side of the kraal, and by her were the
nurse and the white donkey, which was teth-
cred to peg. Her feet were bound with a
rope, and warriors were lying about all round
her.
As there was absolutely nothing further
that could he done then we all took some
supper and went to lie down for couple of
hours.
The bed whereon l lay was near an open
window that looked on to the veranda,
oh yrf.aOr1inorp sound
Of grooming and weeping For time could
not make out what it was, but at last got
up, and putting my head out of the window
stared about. Presently saw dim figure
SIneeling on the end of the veranda and beat
ing his breast-in which l recognized AL
phonse. Not being able to understand his
French talk, or what on earth he was at, |
called to him and asked him what he was
doing.
"Ah, monsieur" he sighed, 81 do make
prayer for the souls of those whom i shall
STAY tonight"
"Indeed,n l said; @then L wish that you
would do it little more quietly"
Alphonse retreated and heard no more
of his groans And so the time passed, till
at length Mr.. Mackenzie called me in a
whisper through the window, for OF course
everything had now to be done i'll the most
absolute silence "Three O'clock" he said;
"we must begin to move at half past"
told him to come i'll, and presently he
entered and / am bound to say that if it had
not been that just then had not got laugh
anywhere about me, should have exploded
at the sight he presented armed for battle
To begin with, he had on a clergyman's black
swallow tail and kind of broad trimmed
black felt hat, both of which he had donned
on account, he said of their dark color. In
his hand was the Winchester repeating rifle
we had lent him; and stuck in an elastic
cricketing belt, like those worn by English
boys, were, first, huge buckhorn handled
carving knife with guard to it, and next a
long barreled Colts revolver.
"Ah, my friend" he said, seeing me staring
at his belt "you are looking at my carver